Gname intentionally hides premium domain status during auctions.

[789.xyz]

I spent $275 on a 3-letter .xyz domain in a Gname auction, only to discover afterward that it is a premium domain with an annual renewal cost of around $260. There was no indication whatsoever during the auction that this domain was premium.


Looking back, I noticed that the bidding suddenly jumped from just a few dollars to $274, then stayed at that price for a long time. When I added just $1 more, I won the auction. I now suspect that the $274 bid was placed by Gname itself, reflecting the annual renewal fee of the premium domain.


I submitted a support ticket to Gname pointing out the following issues:

1. Failure to disclose critical information (premium status and renewal cost);
2. Lack of transparency or possible intentional concealment in the auction interface;
3. Violation of consumer rights and possibly misleading conduct.

I requested to cancel the transaction and have my deposit refunded. However, the support response was evasive and failed to address the core issues.


It’s worth noting that almost all other reputable platforms clearly indicate when a domain is premium, including renewal pricing. Gname’s failure to do so is unacceptable and misleading.


I am now preparing to gather all necessary evidence and file formal complaints.
Does anyone have thoughts or suggestions on how best to proceed?

 

[bmugford]

I think these venues have an obligation to clearly show "premium" renewal fees, that are well outside the norm.

This tiered renewal nonsense is a major reason why I avoid most non-legacy extensions.

Brad

 

[silentg]

Bidding should've started at the renewal price. They shouldn't be bidding on auctions.

 

[789.xyz]

I own over 1,000 .xyz domains, and not a single one of them is premium. Regardless of price, registrars have a duty to disclose critical information and let users decide whether to bid. But Gname shamelessly claims that "premium status has nothing to do with bidding." Absolutely laughable.

I have already filed a complaint with ICANN. At the same time, I will be exposing Gname on various forums.

 

[GNAME.COM]

Hello @789.xyz ,

Thank you for sharing your experience, and we’re truly sorry to hear about the situation you’ve encountered.

We completely understand your concerns regarding the lack of disclosure around the premium status and renewal fees during the auction process. Please be assured that we take this matter seriously, and your feedback has been escalated internally for further investigation.

We value transparency and user trust, and your case has highlighted an area where improvement is clearly needed. We are currently reviewing the auction listing and bidding records related to this domain to understand exactly what happened and whether there was any system miscommunication or display issue.

In the meantime, please feel free to share any additional information you believe may help us resolve this fairly.

Once again, we appreciate your patience and bringing this to our attention.

Best regards,
Customer Experience Team
Gname.com

 

[bmugford]

Hello @789.xyz ,

Thank you for sharing your experience, and we’re truly sorry to hear about the situation you’ve encountered.

We completely understand your concerns regarding the lack of disclosure around the premium status and renewal fees during the auction process. Please be assured that we take this matter seriously, and your feedback has been escalated internally for further investigation.

We value transparency and user trust, and your case has highlighted an area where improvement is clearly needed. We are currently reviewing the auction listing and bidding records related to this domain to understand exactly what happened and whether there was any system miscommunication or display issue.

In the meantime, please feel free to share any additional information you believe may help us resolve this fairly.

Once again, we appreciate your patience and bringing this to our attention.

Best regards,
Customer Experience Team
Gname.com

If the premium renewal cost was not prominently displayed, the buyer should be offered a refund.

Then, you should fix your system so people know what they are actually bidding on.

Brad

 

[GNAME.COM]

If the premium renewal cost was not prominently displayed, the buyer should be offered a refund.

Then, you should fix your system so people know what they are actually bidding on.

Brad

Hi @bmugford,

Thanks for your suggestion — we appreciate your input.

We’ll investigate the entire scenario and look into improving the system accordingly.

Best regards,
Customer Experience Team
Gname.com

 

[GNAME.COM]

Hello @789.xyz,

Thank you once again for your valuable feedback.

We’d like to inform you that we have already arranged for our product and technical team to optimize the way premium pricing is displayed during auctions to prevent similar issues in the future.

Additionally, we’ve initiated the process related to your refund request. Our support team will be reaching out to you shortly to follow up and ensure the matter is resolved to your satisfaction.

We truly appreciate your patience and understanding as we work to improve the user experience on our platform.

Best regards,
Customer Experience Team
Gname.com

 

[GNAME.COM]

Hello @789.xyz ,

We appreciate your patience throughout this process.

We would like to confirm that the refund related to your recent auction has been successfully processed. You should see the refunded amount reflected in your account shortly, depending on your payment method.

At the same time, we’ve arranged for our product and technical team to improve how premium domain pricing is displayed during auctions to ensure better transparency for all users moving forward.

If you have any further questions or need assistance, please feel free to reach out. We truly appreciate your feedback and thank you again for bringing this to our attention.


Best regards,
Customer Experience Team
Gname.com

 

[789.xyz]

Hello @789.xyz ,

We appreciate your patience throughout this process.

We would like to confirm that the refund related to your recent auction has been successfully processed. You should see the refunded amount reflected in your account shortly, depending on your payment method.

At the same time, we’ve arranged for our product and technical team to improve how premium domain pricing is displayed during auctions to ensure better transparency for all users moving forward.

If you have any further questions or need assistance, please feel free to reach out. We truly appreciate your feedback and thank you again for bringing this to our attention.


Best regards,
Customer Experience Team
Gname.com

The order was indeed canceled, but only because the domain was redeemed — not because you realized your mistake. The post was left unanswered for 10 days, and suddenly you reply right after the domain gets redeemed. Don’t pretend like you actually care about your customers — it’s disgusting!

 

[pb]

Bidding should've started at the renewal price. They shouldn't be bidding on auctions.

I kinda agree that bidding price for expired auctions (on all venues) should include 1 year renewal, but on the other hand it would inflate namebio price records and at the same time it would still not be fully transparent with informing about renewal costs in further years, which is the problem at hand.

 

[GNAME.COM]

Hello @789.xyz,

Thank you again for your message.

We responded to your inquiry through our internal ticket system in a timely manner, but unfortunately, we missed your post here on the forum until later — and we sincerely regret that oversight. The delay was not intentional, and we apologize for any negative impression it may have caused. Regardless of how the situation unfolded, we processed the refund as part of our commitment to fair treatment for all users.

We truly appreciate your feedback, as it helps us identify areas where we can improve. We remain committed to being more responsive across all channels and to continually enhancing the transparency and quality of our service.

Best regards,
— Gname Team

 

[789.xyz]

Hello @789.xyz,

Thank you again for your message.

We responded to your inquiry through our internal ticket system in a timely manner, but unfortunately, we missed your post here on the forum until later — and we sincerely regret that oversight. The delay was not intentional, and we apologize for any negative impression it may have caused. Regardless of how the situation unfolded, we processed the refund as part of our commitment to fair treatment for all users.

We truly appreciate your feedback, as it helps us identify areas where we can improve. We remain committed to being more responsive across all channels and to continually enhancing the transparency and quality of our service.

Best regards,
— Gname Team

Stop pretending to explain things here.

1、Why did your customer support say something as ignorant as “renewal price has nothing to do with auction”? Is that incompetence or shamelessness?
2、Your support staff repeats meaningless responses like robots and completely ignores the actual questions I raised. And now you're pretending to admit your mistakes?
3、Your finance team kept demanding that I pay the remaining amount, threatening to lock my account and handle the domain otherwise, without ever addressing my concerns.
4、If the domain hadn’t been redeemed, would you even bother to put on this act? The post was left unanswered for 10 days, and now suddenly you’re so active on the forum every day?

Cut the act — what a disgrace!
You can only deceive ignorant foreigners who don’t know what you’re really like.

 

[ssj]

I’m still kind of new to domain auctions, so reading stuff like this is helpful. Honestly, I wouldn’t have thought to double-check renewal fees unless it was clearly shown during the auction — so I get why this caused frustration.

At the same time, Gname seems to be trying to grow fast and compete with the big players. Maybe some things slipped through the cracks. Doesn't seem like bad intent, but more like something they should definitely fix.

Would be great if all platforms just made premium status and renewals super obvious. Makes it easier for everyone, especially newer users like me.

 

[GNAME.COM]

Update
Gname has added Premium Domain labels to the following sections to improve clarity and transparency:

• Auction List Page
• Auction Detail Page
• My Domain List Page

You can now more easily identify premium domains throughout the platform.
We appreciate your continued trust and support. Should you have any questions, feel free to contact our support team anytime.

 

[D Haynes]

I kinda agree that bidding price for expired auctions (on all venues) should include 1 year renewal, but on the other hand it would inflate namebio price records and at the same time it would still not be fully transparent with informing about renewal costs in further years, which is the problem at hand.

I think Snapnames/Namejet expired auction prices are inclusive of renewal and/or transfer. The price you win the auction at is the price you pay to receive the domain.

 

[Vertibox]

Gname seems to be trying to grow fast

They've been in existence since 2001. So, what, only now they are trying to grow fast?

 

[MasterOfMyDomains]

Thanks for sharing your experience